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CorWave Strengthens Its Leadership Team with Two Key Appointments

businesswire.com
MED Medtronic is mentioned as a former employer of a key hire, Daniel Lexcen, who led global clinical research for cardiac rhythm. The article does not provide specific sentiment about Medtronic's current performance or prospects.

CorWave Strengthens Its Leadership Team with Two Key Appointments CLICHY, France--( BUSINESS WIRE)--CorWave, a company pioneering innovative cardiac assist devices and currently conducting a clinical investigation following the first implantations of its undulating membrane heart pump, announces the appointments of Andreas Fleischli as Chief Technology Officer (CTO) and Daniel Lexcen as Vice President Clinical & Scientific Affairs. These strategic hires strengthen CorWave’s leadership team as the company prepares for the next stages of scaling its clinical program and industrial set-up.

Andreas Fleischli brings about 30 years of expertise in the development of Left Ventricular Assist Devices (LVADs), spanning device innovation, engineering, industrialization, regulatory approval, and production scale-up. As an internationally recognized authority in magnetically levitated pump technologies, he played a key role in pioneering and manufacturing at scale the most implanted LVAD worldwide to date, a product that has generated over $4 billion in cumulative revenues. Over the course of his career, he has held senior engineering and leadership roles at leading medical device companies, including Thoratec. In his different roles, he drove innovation in next-generation Mechanical Circulatory Support technologies and led major R&D and manufacturing programs. Andreas holds an MS in Electrical Engineering and Information Technology from ETH Zurich. He succeeds Carl Botterbusch, who has decided to retire.

Daniel Lexcen joins CorWave with extensive experience in heart failure clinical research and global clinical program execution. Over the past decade in the medical device industry, including leadership roles in global clinical research, he contributed to the design and execution of numerous international clinical trials across the United States, Europe, Australia, and Japan. His experience spans the full product development lifecycle, from early clinical studies to post-market programs, and in close collaboration with investigators, regulatory authorities, and key opinion leaders. Prior to joining CorWave, Daniel led the global clinical research strategy for cardiac rhythm at Medtronic. Daniel holds a PhD in Integrated Biosciences from the University of Minnesota and is the author or co-author of more than 45 peer-reviewed publications, including in top-tier journals (e.g., New England Journal of Medicine & JACC).

These appointments, alongside the recent arrival of Dawn Sadlowski-Buisserez as VP of Operations, complete a leadership team capable of transitioning CorWave from a breakthrough R&D firm to a global industry leader.

Andreas, CTO of CorWave, commented: “I am thrilled to join CorWave at such a pivotal moment in its journey toward the upcoming pivotal clinical trial and eventually commercialization. The company’s unique wave membrane technology, which delivers physiologic pulsatility unlike conventional continuous‑flow pumps, has the potential to redefine circulatory support, not only with our flagship LVAD but also as a platform for future cardiac support devices. I am excited to help accelerate the transition from breakthrough innovation to clinical and commercial reality. Working alongside this talented team, I look forward to strengthening our technical foundations and scaling the organization as we advance toward bringing CorWave’s life‑changing solutions to patients worldwide.”

Daniel Lexcen, VP Clinical & Scientific Affairs of CorWave, added: “I am excited to join CorWave and contribute to advancing the clinical program toward the pivotal study for CE marking. The company operates at the frontier of heart failure therapies. Its unique approach to restoring a more natural physiologic response through the wave membrane technology represents a transformative opportunity to drive better clinical outcomes.”

Louis de Lillers, CEO of CorWave, concluded: “We are thrilled to welcome Andreas and Daniel as CorWave advances toward global clinical and industrial scale-up. Andreas brings unique expertise in LVAD development throughout the entire product lifecycle, while Daniel’s experience across translational science and clinical trial execution will be key to progress toward market approval. Building on the momentum of our first clinical implants, strengthening our leadership team with world-class talent is a critical step in our ambition to transform durable LVAD therapy.”

About CorWave

CorWave is a French company that develops and manufactures innovative cardiac assist devices. CorWave's undulating membrane is a breakthrough technology that distinguishes itself from currently marketed Left Ventricular Assist Devices (LVADs) through its physiological operation, designed to reproduce pulse and blood flow velocities similar to those of a healthy heart. Ultimately, CorWave's membrane pump technology is designed to reduce complications associated with current devices and improve the management of patients suffering from heart failure. A member of French Tech 120, CorWave was founded in 2012 by the start-up studio MD Start and is funded by renowned investors, including Bpifrance, EIC Fund, M&L Healthcare, Novo Holdings, Seventure Partners, Sofinnova Partners, Ysios Capital, and Vlerick Group. The company has raised over 100 million euros in equity funding and employs about a hundred people. In May 2025, after more than a decade of research and development, CorWave became the first company in over 25 years to bring a radically new pumping technology into clinical evaluation in the durable LVAD space.

Further information: www.corwave.com | x.com/corwave | www.linkedin.com/company/corwave

CorWave LVAS is a medical device currently available for clinical investigations only.

This project received funding from the European Union’s research and innovation Horizon 2020 program under grant agreement #954151.

This project has been funded by the French government as part of the France 2030 program.

CorWave’s R&D program is supported by the French government through the Investments for the Future Program (PIA).

CorWave’s industrialization program is supported by Île-de-France region through the « Relance Industrie » call for projects.